Los Angeles Lakers

The Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers continue to trend in opposite directions.

Milwaukee completed its season sweep of Los Angeles with a 131-116 victory in Tuesday's showdown at Crypto.com Arena. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way for the Bucks, who improved to 35-21 on the season with a fourth consecutive win.

A solid showing from LeBron James wasn't enough for the Lakers, who dropped to 26-29 overall and 2-5 in the last seven games.

Notable Player Stats

• Giannis Antetokounmpo, F, MIL: 44 PTS (17-of-20 FG), 15 REB, 8 AST, 2 BLK
  
• Khris Middleton, F, MIL: 21 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST
• Bobby Portis, F, MIL: 23 PTS, 7 REB, 2 STL
• Jrue Holiday, G, MIL: 15 PTS, 10 AST, 7 REB, 2 STL
• LeBron James, F, LAL: 27 PTS, 8 AST, 5 REB
• Anthony Davis, F, LAL: 22 PTS, 9 REB, 4 AST, 3 BLK

Bucks Have No Trouble with Sub-.500 Opponent

Entering Tuesday's slate, a mere 4.5 games separated the top-seeded Miami Heat and the sixth-seeded Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference. The tight race underscores how dramatic of a difference every single win can make as the season enters the stretch run and how important it is to win the easier matchups.

Milwaukee may not have circled a game against the Lakers as one of those matchups with a bad team coming into the season, but the reality is the Purple and Gold are below .500 and a group the Bucks need to beat if they are going to get the No. 1 seed.

The visitors wasted no time taking advantage of the opportunity while building a 22-point halftime lead. Antetokounmpo looked well on his way to a triple-double while overpowering his way through defenders, battling for boards and facilitating, while connecting on all eight of his field-goal attempts—two of which were three-pointers—in the first half.

It was far from a one-man show, as Khris Middleton quickly found his shooting stroke while pouring in 21 points before intermission. Throw in Jrue Holiday distributing and the combination of Grayson Allen and Pat Connaughton providing a spark, and this game was seemingly over at the half.

Bobby Portis got a turn to get in on the fun in the third quarter, and the forward caught fire from deep while all five starters reached double figures well before the fourth.

Antetokounmpo continued to stuff the stat sheet as well even though he finally missed a shot in the second half. The only question by the fourth quarter was whether he would notch his triple-double, and it certainly helped his assist total that everyone was so dialed in around him even if he fell just short.

Milwaukee can win plenty of games with the two-time MVP taking over, but it is nearly unbeatable if the whole team plays like it did against the lackluster Lakers.

Lakers Defense Nowhere to be Found in Loss

As if facing the defending champions wasn't enough of a challenge for the struggling Lakers, head coach Frank Vogel told reporters Carmelo Anthony (hamstring) and Dwight Howard (back) would not play.

What's more, the plan was to play James fewer than the 40 minutes he saw in Saturday's game against the New York Knicks. Getting blown out was one way to accomplish that plan.

While James did what he could as the primary scorer and facilitator, the Lakers were completely overmatched on the defensive end. They had no answers for the Antetokounmpo-Middleton combination, and Milwaukee as a whole shot a blistering 68.2 percent from the field in the first half while creating a number of easy looks.

It didn't help that Russell Westbrook continued to deal with inconsistent shooting, but he was far from the biggest issue in this one, as Los Angeles immediately fell into comeback mode.

There were some bright spots, such as LeBron's dunk over Antetokounmpo or his lob to Davis, but Tuesday was another ugly showing in a season full of them for one of the most disappointing teams in the league.

It reached a point that Milwaukee's entire bench was essentially dancing onto the court after Portis drilled a wide-open three from the corner. Even on cruise control after a dominant first half, the Bucks still reached triple digits in the middle of the third quarter and had no trouble scoring whenever they needed to against the Lakers.

Perhaps the presence of James and Davis will be enough to elevate Los Angeles come playoff time, but the defense on display Tuesday will undercut any of those efforts.

What's Next?

The Lakers are at the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, while the Bucks conclude their four-game road trip Thursday against the Phoenix Suns.

The 26-28 Los Angeles Lakers, who sit ninth in the Western Conference, are one of the top teams to watch as Thursday's NBA trade deadline appears.

Orlando Magic wing Terrence Ross is one name to keep an eye on.

In a Los Angeles Times NBA roundtable with Broderick Turner and Andrew Greif, Dan Woike reported that Ross is "a more realistic target" at the Thursday trade deadline for the Lakers.

"A more realistic target, sources said, would be Orlando’s Terrence Ross," per Woike. 

"To get him, the Lakers would need to include [Talen] Horton-Tucker and maybe that first-round pick and be willing to take on a player who has seen his efficiency diminish over the last three seasons, never a good sign for the kind of shooter Ross is purported to be."

Woike noted that acquiring Ross would be more realistic than other potential targets like Boston Celtics wing Josh Richarson and Toronto Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr., especially with both of those teams on big win streaks of late.

Ross, 31, is averaging 11.1 points on 40.7 percent shooting (31.3 percent from three-point range) in 24.4 minutes per game for the 12-43 Magic, who have the NBA's worst record.

The rebuilding Magic are playing out the string of a season that will see them on the outside looking into the playoff picture, and it'll probably behoove them to trade some or all of their veteran players to playoff-contending teams who can use more pieces to their rotation.

Ross is one of those players. On the downside, his efficiency numbers have notably taken a downturn, with his 31.3 percent three-point rate a career-worst mark.

He hasn't been as much of a focal point in this year's Magic offense as in years past, with his minutes and field-goal attempts also going down.

Ross's shooting numbers have also steadily gone down since 2018-19, when he had 15.1 points per game and shot 38.3 percent from three-point range.

However, a fresh start elsewhere could be a catalyst toward greater success.

For the Lakers, adding another veteran scorer off the bench can only help the second unit and ease some of the burden off LeBron James and Anthony Davis, especially if one or the other is out with injury.

At this juncture, L.A. will almost certainly qualify for the play-in tournament, but the Lakers would obviously like to finish top six in the Western Conference and hope to go on a late-season surge to try and meet its championship aspirations.

Ross can definitely help, and he's a name to watch as Thursday's 3 p.m. ET deadline nears.

The Los Angeles Lakers are a disappointing 26-28 despite preseason championship expectations, but they might not be in position to make a number of headline moves ahead of Thursday's trade deadline.

Jovan Buha and Bill Oram of The Athletic reported "dumping the contract of one of DeAndre Jordan or Kent Bazemore, either via trade or buyout" is widely seen as the "next-most likely move" to trading Talen Horton-Tucker or Kendrick Nunn.

"The goal would be to both save money on their $150-plus million cap sheet and to create an additional roster spot," Buha and Oram added.

In January, ESPN's Brian Windhorst said there was some belief around the league that the Lakers could look to create more roster flexibility by moving Jordan or Bazemore. Neither player has a significant role for L.A. this season.

Jordan hasn't played more than 21 minutes in a game since a Nov. 23 loss to the New York Knicks. Bazemore hasn't played more than 14 minutes in a game since a Dec. 17 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Los Angeles has even turned to LeBron James as a de facto big man at times in small lineups before turning to Jordan for significant minutes in the frontcourt. That is quite the departure from when he was in his prime and amassed a resume that includes three All-NBA selections, two All-Defensive selections, two rebounding titles and an All-Star nod.

Jordan was best known for throwing down dunks on the Los Angeles Clippers alongside Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, but he averaged a double-double with points and rebounds for six straight seasons between 2013-14 and 2018-19.

Those days are in the rearview mirror, but he is still just 33 years old and perhaps could provide interior defense and rebounding for a team in need of more frontcourt depth.

Bazemore doesn't have as impressive of a resume as Jordan, but he did average at least 10 points per game in every season between 2015-16 and 2018-19 for the Atlanta Hawks. He could also provide outside shooting as a 35.6 percent career shooter from deep.

Jordan and Bazemore won't be the most impactful players moved ahead of the deadline, but some roster management could be in store for a Lakers team that looks more like a candidate for a play-in tournament exit than the NBA Finals at this point.               

The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly continue shopping guard Talen Horton-Tucker ahead of the 2022 NBA trade deadline without much luck.

Brian Robb of MassLive reported the Lakers have offered Horton-Tucker and a draft pick to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Josh Richardson, who has become a popular target for contending teams.

It's no secret the Lakers have been trying to package Horton-Tucker and the contract of Kendrick Nunn to teams for several weeks in an attempt to turn their season around. Jovan Buha and Bill Oram of The Athletic reported the Lakers have found tepid-at-best interest in such a package, and it's become increasingly likely the team stands pat at the deadline.

The Lakers' inability to find a taker speaks to the cratering of Horton-Tucker's value around the league. The Arizona State product is averaging 9.5 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting a ghastly 25.0 percent from three-point range. His failure to develop into a steady two-way playmaker on the wing exemplies an offseason full of poor decision making from the Lakers front office, which allowed Alex Caruso to sign with the Chicago Bulls in favor of Horton-Tucker.

While he's far from the biggest issue—that would be the oil-water on-court mix of Russell Westbrook and LeBron James—Horton-Tucker represents the team's best chance at getting better at the deadline.

If he's not generating enough enthusiasm to land Richardson, a fine but decidedly mid-level rotation player, it's going to be a quiet deadline in Los Angeles. 

There isn't much time remaining for the Los Angeles Lakers to shake up their roster via trades. No NBA team can make deals after 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, when the trade deadline for the 2021-22 season arrives. So the Lakers may need to start working the phones.

Los Angeles is 26-28, which has it in ninth place in the Western Conference. If the season ended today, the Lakers would be in the play-in tournament and would have to improve drastically if they hoped to make a deep run through the postseason.

Many people expected Los Angeles to return to championship contention this term after it was knocked out of the playoffs in the first round last season. It went out and traded for point guard Russell Westbrook to form a big three with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, which raised expectations even further.

However, things haven't worked out quite as expected for the Lakers, who have some tough decisions to make ahead of the trade deadline.

Is it possible that Los Angeles could trade Westbrook? The 33-year-old is averaging 18.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists in 54 games while shooting 43.7 percent from the field, but head coach Frank Vogel has benched him several times during key moments of games.

One NBA executive told Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com that Los Angeles may be ready to part ways with Westbrook already.

"It's obvious they're trying to move Westbrook, which is damn-near impossible," the executive told Bulpett. "They know that roster's just not working."

The reason it would be difficult for the Lakers to trade Westbrook is because of his huge contract. He's making $44.21 million this season, and then he has a $47.06 million player option for the 2022-23 campaign, per Spotrac. It will be difficult to find a trade partner that can fit that salary on to its payroll.

Another trade deadline possibility is the Lakers dealing Talen Horton-Tucker, who is one of their more valuable trade chips. The 21-year-old guard has a lot of potential, but perhaps Los Angeles would be open to moving him because it is in win-now mode.

But Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus recently discussed why it may also be difficult for the Lakers to trade Horton-Tucker ahead of the deadline.

"The whole Ben Simmons thing is complicated and is on Rich Paul's resume. Whether it's Ben who's doing what he's doing or it's Rich, the perception is, it's Klutch," Pincus recently said on the FnA Podcast. "Do you want to get in bed with Klutch Sports on a player who, if he blows up, you now need to overpay? That's what the Lakers are facing when it comes to trading [Horton-Tucker]."

So if Westbrook and Horton-Tucker both remain in Los Angeles, can the Lakers pull off any trades before Thursday's deadline? What other moves may they consider making?

Rumors surrounding Los Angeles are likely to continue to circulate right up until Thursday's deadline, and it will be fascinating to see what the Lakers end up doing (or not doing) before it arrives.

The Los Angeles Lakers are in the midst of a surprisingly disappointing season, and with the trade deadline coming up Thursday, there's an opportunity for the franchise to add players who will improve the squad.

However, LeBron James hasn't made any demands about how the front office should approach the deadline, and he believes the team will make some additions if the opportunity presents itself.

James told reporters:

If there's an opportunity for you to get better, then you explore those options. ... If you have an opportunity to get better, no one turns that down. I mean, as great as the Rams was, they had an opportunity to get an elite guy like Odell [Beckham Jr.] and they went and got him. So, if you have an opportunity to get better, you try to get better, and if not, then you rock and roll with what you got.

The Lakers entered the 2021-22 season with high expectations after retooling their roster. The franchise parted ways with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma and Alex Caruso, among others, and added Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, Malik Monk, Dwight Howard and several others.

However, Westbrook hasn't lived up to expectations in L.A. The 33-year-old is averaging 18.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists while shooting 43.7 percent from the floor and 30.0 percent from deep through 54 games. He hasn't averaged less than 21 points since the 2009-10 season, his second in the NBA.

Despite his struggles, it seems as though Westbrook's Lakers teammates have been supportive of him. James recently revealed his advice to Westbrook while speaking with reporters, and he noted he's confident in the veteran's abilities:

I told him to text me later. I told him to keep going, stop second-guessing himself... He's an instinctive player, with what he's done in this league, he should never second guess himself... I have the utmost confidence in his ability.

While Westbrook has certainly had his challenges, the Lakers have dealt with injuries to both James and Anthony Davis this season, which hasn't helped. James has missed 17 games and Davis has missed 21.

The roster turnover, Westbrook's inconsistency and injuries have all contributed to the franchise sitting ninth in the Western Conference with a 26-28 record, 17 games behind the first-place Phoenix Suns.

As for specific trade rumors, B/R's Jake Fischer recently said on The NBA Chats podcast that the Lakers are trying to see what they can get for players like Howard, Kent Bazemore, DeAndre Jordan, Talen Horton-Tucker and Kendrick Nunn.

But like James said, if those players aren't moved, the Purple and Gold are prepared to go to battle with the roster they have. 

Russell Westbrook has been one of the main scapegoats for the struggling Los Angeles Lakers this season after his offseason acquisition.

But on Monday, LeBron James expressed support for his teammate ahead of the NBA trade deadline Thursday:

"For me, as a brother to Russ, at the end of the day I only care about his state of mind and how much he can give to himself," James added. "If he commit to himself, then it will trickle down to the rest of us. I don't really get involved in all of the other schematics and things off the floor. All I really care about is how he is, how his well-being is, how his family doing. The game will translate. You put the work in, the game will translate. Guys struggle all the time."

The 26-28 Lakers have been one of the disappointing teams in the NBA this season, sitting just ninth in the Western Conference. If the season ended today, they'd be fighting for their postseason lives in the play-in tournament.

There are a number of potential reasons for the team's poor form. Injuries have been an issue, with James missing 17 games this season and Anthony Davis missing 21. Head coach Frank Vogel has also found himself on the hot seat throughout the year, and questionable roster construction has left the team with a group of ill-fitting players.

Westbrook falls into that third issue. Brought aboard to be the third star, the ball-dominant Westbrook has never seemed to fit naturally next to James, who also thrives with the ball in his hands.

The 33-year-old point guard has offered a mixed bag, registering impressive counting stats (18.4 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 7.7 APG) but lacking efficiency (43.7 percent from the field, 30.0 percent from three, 66.8 percent from the free-throw line) and hurting the team's floor spacing.

The Lakers simply play worse when he's on the court. The team's net rating when Westbrook plays is -3.1, per NBA.com. When he sits, that improves to 1.6.

He also isn't much of a defensive contributor at this point. The team's defensive rating improves from 109.4 when he plays to 104.5 when he sits.

And the trio of James, Davis and Westbrook isn't exactly dominant. That three-man lineup has a net rating of just 2.0. Take Westbrook out of the equation, and the two-man lineup of James and Davis has a 5.3 net rating.

Those are all concerning numbers. James can defend Westbrook publicly, but it's hard to make the argument that adding the veteran point guard has improved the Lakers.

If L.A. can somehow find a way to unload Westbrook's $44.2 million contract—unlikely, considering he also has a $47 million player option for next season that he'll almost assuredly exercise—while getting back a complementary piece, they'll pull the trigger.

Russell Westbrook once again found himself stapled to the end of the bench in crunch time, with Los Angeles Lakers coach Frank Vogel sitting the 2017 MVP for the entire overtime period of Saturday's 122-115 win over the New York Knicks.

Westbrook, who scored five points on 1-for-10 shooting in one of the worst games of his career before being benched, managed to keep a positive disposition after the game.

"The best part of this game is that you win," Westbrook told reporters. "Guys competed. We won the game, and that's all that matters."

This is the second time in the span of three weeks that Vogel has gone without Westbrook in crunch time. He previously sat the embattled point guard for the final 3:52 of a Jan. 19 loss to the Indiana Pacers, leading Westbrook to leave Crypto.com Arena without speaking to reporters.

Westbrook fulfilled his media requirement this time around, saying his main issue the last time he was benched was that it came in a losing effort. 

"I just talked to [Vogel] about that I was upset about it," Westbrook said of the loss to the Pacers. "But I was more upset I didn't win the game. But not about when or how he would do it. But it doesn't matter. Like I said, it's not about me. I don't want to make it about me. It's more about our team and our guys. Tonight we got a good win and now move onto the next one."

Westbrook has increasingly become the focus of a disappointing Lakers season, with home fans booing him and actively discouraging him from shooting Saturday night. LeBron James and Anthony Davis both spoke of the need to keep Westbrook's head in the game amid his struggles.

"I told him to keep going, to stop second-guessing himself during the game," James said. "There were a couple of times where he had good looks, second-guessed himself and a couple times where he had some drives and he had them and second-guessed himself. He's an instinctive player and he should never, what he's done in this league, he should never second-guess himself if he's put the work in—and he's put the work in."

Westbrook is averaging 18.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists this season, his lowest scoring output since his second NBA season.